Listen To the Rain
by Phoenix Bradley
Summary: This is the sequal to Some Angel, and as a gift to you all, one chapter for each day it was late. Sorry about the delay. Enjoy!
1. Prologue

Listen To The Rain by, Smeagol's girl

(A/N: Good morning, Starshine! The earth says, "Hello"  
An ahead of time warning, the majority of this was written before Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was released (July 15th) so Willy Wonka's going to be out of character from the movie, but appearance wise, it's the same guy. Sorry. And changed the title cuz this one looked better. When she was only four, Jessica Alexandra Wonka was kidnapped and never seen again. The entire family took the blow very hard, especially the parents, and picking up the shreds of their life is near impossible. Nine years later, after enough evidence has been found to prove she's dead, a teen shows up near the factory, screaming and beaten. He learns within minutes she's not in her right mind and gets her taken to a psychiatric hospital. With one look at her, he immediately knows he has to help her because he feels an unexplainable connection with her... like if he helps her, it'd be like helping his daughter he lost so long ago. The problem is, she's been hiding a dark secret ever since she was little and is not ready to give it up to anybody. As he gradually gains her trust, he soon finds himself involved in the biggest challenge yet. Rated T. I own nothing. Everything you would want to know about the last two stories is on my profile, where the ideas came from, and the true stories behind most of it. Check it out.)

"You hold the answers deep within your own minds. Consciously, you've forgotten them. That's the way the human mind works. Whenever something is too unpleasant, too shameful for us to... entertain, we reject it. We erase it from our memory. But the imprint is always there"  
-Intro to 'Understanding (Wash It All Away)', Evanescence

"Won't you come away with me tonight/ We can flap as the moon and stars alight/ Doesn't matter where you've been before all night like this/ Doesn't matter where you've been before/ I'll love you like this/ And she cries/ Can't you see I won't leave/ You've got to open your eyes/ Here I stand, take my hand/ Let go of the fear that you hold/ Don't throw your pearls to swine tonight/ Don't let them take your innocence/ Remember times I held your hand and kept you close/ Remember the times I held up and now/ And she cries/ Can't you see I won't leave/ You've got to open your eyes/ Here I stand, take my hand/ Let go of the fear that you hold"  
-'She Cries', East West

PROLOGUE (Takes place morning after wedding night. Dedicated to a pal who actually wrote a wedding night scene for me. Not as hot and steamy as what you sent, but just right. :D)

Willy woke when the first rays of sun began to shine through the bedroom window. Reya lay sound asleep beside him, her blue hair slightly tangled, but lay spread across her back, half covering the Grateful Dead logo on her dark gray zip up hoodie. He had teased her so bad when she put it on after tossing and turning for hours, finally admitting (slightly embarrassed) that she couldn't fall asleep without any clothes on. He had laughed about it, but she looked sort of cute like this. Her dark blue and green pajama pants were very soft, and looked comfy, so he really could blame her for not being able to sleep peacefully without them.

She shifted a little, and he knew she was starting to wake up. He leaned over to her and kissed her cheek sweetly. She moaned slightly, and her eyes slitted open, looking up at him dreamily. "Hi," she said softly, propping herself up on her elbow and smiling. "Good morning, princess," he said softly. He had been calling her that since he had taken her to their fairy tale 'castle', and she secretly enjoyed it, even if it was a little corny. "Sleep well?" he asked, and they both exchanged a laugh. She rubbed her forehead with her hand, and he saw her turning red.

"I'm sorry," she said, yawning. "I tried, but I couldn't sleep"

"It's okay," he said kissing her forehead. "Better than you not sleeping at all." She smiled and kissed his lips, but quickly drew away, making a face.

"Bleh! Morning breath," she said, a little over dramatized. He chuckled and tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear, kissing her again, slowly but passionately. She felt so warm when she was kissing him. It wasn't that she was cold before, she just felt warmer when his lips would start to brush hers. And for some reason now, it wasn't the castle like house, or the 'prince charming' laying beside her, but the love he felt for her was making her feel like an actually princess, special and beautiful. He was very passionate about things, and never went into anything half heartedly. So naturally he was passionate about her, and she knew he would do everything he could to treat her like a princess. He slid away and placed his legs over the edge, pulling on a pair of boxers and pajama pants before standing up, and then he turned to her, extending his arms to her. She smiled, crawling forward as he picked her up in his arms and carried her down the stairs.

About two weeks after this, she came running to him, bouncy and excited with an EPT which was positive. That was when it all really began to start.  
-


	2. Jessica Alexandra Wonka

"Momma!" whined the little girl. "I wanna play outside"

"Honey, not yet," said Reya from the kitchen. "Let me finish giving Ronnie his bath and then we'll go out." She smiled a little and went back to washing Ronnie, who was splashing the water around in the sink. Children were so impatient, but so wonderful. Little Jessica, who was standing with her arms folded and lip sticking out, was a very vivacious child and very lively. She was also a little drama queen which they always got a hoot out of. The times it would really become a problem was when she would accidentally lock herself in a closet and then the fits would come. She was very claustrophobic, and whenever she would wind up in a small closed in space, she would usually throw large fits to the point of either passing out, or starting to bang her head into the wall, so they were very careful.

"It's gonna be night time soon!" protested Jessica.

"It's only two thirty, honey. Two more minutes. I promise. Two more minutes." Jessica pouted and stomped off to the front door to wait. Even though two minutes isn't that long of a time span, so a child eager to go outside and play, it's an eternity times twenty. She was getting fidgety and anxious, staring at the door. All she could see were her hands turning the knob, and then running out into the beautiful day to play forever.

Looking behind her, she saw that her mommy was taking Ronnie out of the sink and drying him off. Any minute now she'd be ready... why was it taking so long? She stamped her foot, but nothing happened. Glancing at the door again, she decided that mommy would have to see she was big enough to take care of herself, and then she'd be able to play. So she opened the door and scuttled outside, into the bright sunny day.  
-

Reya had only gotten Ronnie's clothes on when she heard the screaming from outside. She stood silent for a minute, and suddenly recognized the voice. "Jessie!" she shouted, and ran, carrying Ronnie with her. The front door was open and she panicked. "Jessie!" she shouted again and ran outside, looking around. There was nothing. No sight or sound of Jessica or any sign of her being in the house. "Oh my god!" she gasped, running around the house, trying to find her. About fifteen minutes later, she called the police and that was when the nightmare officially began for her and the rest of the family.  
-

"Mr. Wonka, there's a call waiting for you," said the squeaky loompa voice. Wonka, who was mixing together a new concoction, set down the test tubes and took off his goggles.

"Who is it?" he asked.

"It's the Mrs. She sounds like she's crying, sir." He nodded and stepped out of the inventing room to answer the call.

"Honey?" he asked, once he had the phone.

"Oh my god! Willy... I don't know what happened! There was screaming and I ran but... oh God"

"Whoa," he said. "Slow down, I can't understand you, dear! Breathe"

"I can't breathe!" she half screamed. "Jessica's gone!" The world around him went silent and he stared blankly at the wall in front of him. All he could think of was the little carrot top with blue eyes, sitting on her tricycle she had gotten for Christmas a year ago.

"I can ride all by myself, Daddy!" he remembered her saying, and he had given her a hug.

"Willy!" cried Reya, and he snapped back to reality.

"What happened?" he asked, trying to remain calm, a fight he knew he would lose.

"I don't know! She was standing in the kitchen, asking me to take her outside, then I heard these screams and... she's gone! Someone took her!" She started sobbing, and Wonka buried his face in his hand.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"She's nowhere! We've searched the house, the police searched the house, she's gone"  
"All right, I'll be right there."

"Okay," she sobbed, and he hung up, returning the phone to its receiver.

"Is there a problem, sir?" asked an oompa-loompa.

"My daughter's just been kidnapped," he said, the reality still not fully sinking in. The oompa, on the other hand, looked mortified and placed a hand over its mouth.

"Anything I can do?" he asked.

"If she turns up here, call me. I have to get home to my wife. She shouldn't be alone right now. Oh dear..." He left without saying anything else and ran to his car, opening and slamming the door as fast as he could. As he placed the keys in the ignition he heard giggling and looked in the rearview mirror.

"Daddy, look at the doggy!" He turned his head to look out the window, but there was nothing there.

"What doggy, honey-" but she was gone. It had all been in his head and he shook himself to snap out of it. As he pulled out of the driveway, he heard the giggles again, this time from the passenger seat, and he looked at her.

"Daddy, I forgot to bring Lucy." Lucy was her doll she had carried around with her since she had been able to walk. It was her most treasured possession in the world, and she always pitched a fit if she forgot it somewhere.

"Is she in the house?" he asked softly, shaking because he knew she wasn't real.

"I don't know," she said, and vanished.

"No," he said, reaching over to grab her, but she was gone. "Jessica"

"Daddy, play with me!" He looked out the window and saw himself kneeling in front of her. She had her arms stretched out and he stood up.

"I can't honey. Daddy's got to go to work," he heard himself say softly. "I'll play with you when I get home, I promise." Jessica pouted and they both disappeared. From in the car, he closed his eyes and rested his head on his arm over the steering wheel, finally feeling the impact sink in and he started to cry. "Oh, Jessie," he whispered, shaking as the hot tears came at last.  
-  
(A/N: Thanks for not killing me, those who were ready to because they were waiting for this fic. I'm not comparing myself to her at all because I'm nowhere near as good a writer, but I feel like J.K. Rowling. Everyone going crazy for a sequel and waiting and anticipating it... it's so cool! Thanks to all the readers, I couldn't have done this without you. Actually, I probably still would have but it wouldn't have been as magical. Quick question, if all three of these fics were a series, what would you call the series? I got nothing here b/c the creative train's been to almost every stop. Any ideas, I'd love to hear them! Also, I want to know, like out of Some Devil and Some Angel, what was your all time fav quote/scene. Yes, this is a velveta cheesy times a thousand request, but I'm serious. I want to know so I can know what elements people like and I can work on being a better writer. Email me, or PM me on the Tim Burton Collective forum (username: Smeagol's girl). Thankyou, and my shpeal is over, so bye!)


	3. He's a Monster

"Is there anyone who could have done this?" asked the cop. "Any enemies you have?" Wonka shook his head, but Reya nodded.

"I have an enemy," she said softly.

"Isn't he in jail?" asked Wonka, looking at her.

"Who?" asked the cop.

"Tyler Chapman," she said, looking up at him. "He was released a year ago, or should have been."

"Chapman?" asked the cop, jotting it down.

"He's a monster."

"We'll look up his file, see if he has been released, and where he is if he in fact has been. Anyone else who could have done this? Anyone in competition with you, Mr. Wonka?"

"The possibilities are endless if that's it," he said, looking at him frustrated. "If it's a jealous candy company, then have fun inspecting them all!"

"Honey!" scolded Reya, and he stopped, muttering a small apology.  
-

Wonka sat up in bed, listening carefully. He could have sworn he had heard sobs and waited. There came sniffling from down the hall, and he climbed out of bed, walking over to Deborah's bedroom. Deborah was the first born, one of them. Her twin brother was Kyle, who was in the room next to hers. Deborah was only thirteen and had been very rattled when she heard the news. When Wonka stepped into her bedroom, he found her sitting on the bed, crying into her pillow which she hugged tightly. He sighed, not feeling ready to handle this since he was barely coping himself, but stepped in anyway, knowing she needed her parents now more than ever.

"Hey, half-pint," he said softly. "Are you all right?" She looked up at him and shook her head, and he sat down on the bed next to her, putting his arm around her.

"It's my fault," she whispered, and he shook his head.

"Oh, darling it isn't," he said softly. "It was an accident."  
Outside in the hall, Reya stood by the doorway, listening in on them.

"The last thing I said to her was, "I hate you." What if she really thinks I do, wherever she is? She could be all alone and scared or dead..." She started crying and he buried her face in his night shirt, rubbing her back soothingly.

Reya buried her face in her hand, muffling out sobs and slipped into the bathroom, closing the door behind her. Everything her daughter had said was burned in her brain and she could almost hear little Jessica screaming from the darkness, "Mommy! Mommy, help me! I'm afraid! Mommy!" She started sobbing and buried her face in her hands, shaking and fighting off the urge to scream. Her baby was gone and in the hands of a monster who was doing God only knew what to her.

"Bastard," she sobbed. "Leave her alone, she's just a baby!" The door opened and she heard her husband slip in, looking as if he were ready to die. "Oh honey," she whispered and walked over to him, wrapping her arms around her. No one slept well that night, except for the baby and the two year old, Jason, who were too young for the pain to hit them at full impact. Deborah and Kyle didn't sleep at all, and it was shortly after Reya and Willy left the bathroom that Willy stayed in Kyle's room, talking to him when he caught him punching the wall, and Reya stayed in Deborah's room, trying to calm her down enough to go to sleep. The other two boys, Jack and Frances were sound asleep in their room. Both had been visited several times in the night to calm them down. They were young, but they were old enough to feel some of the pain, not as much as Deborah and Kyle, and definitely not as much as Reya and Willy, who didn't sleep a wink that night.  
-


	4. Where Did You Take Her!

Willy trudged down the street, hiding behind his large sunglasses that looked like goggles (or so Reya had teased him), heading to Starbucks to buy a powerful expresso. "Well well," said a voice, and he looked over his shoulder, ready to collapse from exhaustion. "If it isn't the great Willy Wonka." He squinted but couldn't see very well, so he took off the glasses, revealing the large dark circles around his eyes. "My, you're not looking very well at all."

"Who are you?" he asked.

"Don't you recognize me, old friend?" He looked closer and thought for a moment. Then it his him like a bullet between the eyes.

"Slugworth," he muttered. "What do you want?" He turned and started walking, trying to ignore him.

"I saw you on the news last night. You looked like a wreck, if you don't mind me saying." Willy didn't answer and started to pull the door to the Starbucks open. "Heard about your little girl. Sorry to hear about that." He stopped and looked at him.

"We'll find her," he said darkly. "We won't give up."

"I never said you would," he said, raising up a hand in surrender. "Just thought I'd offer you my sympathy."

"Well keep it to yourself, I have no use for it."

"My aren't we snappy today. Not that I blame you. Makes you wonder what sort of monster would steal something that valuable from you." Willy let go of the door and faced him.

"What are you suggesting?" he asked.

"That a man who would do that to a child is a monster, that's all."

"You think I did it?" he asked defensively. "You think I kidnapped my child?"

"I most certainly do not," he said, getting defensive himself.

"That's my baby! I love her so much. I would never ever do anything to her! Ever!"

"Now calm down, Mr. Wonka! No need creating a scene in the middle of the city."

"It was you," he said suddenly. "You took her!" Slugworth look furious now.

"I did no such thing!"

"You're lying! Where is she!" he shouted. "Where's my daughter!" Slugworth turned around and tried to walk away, but Willy grabbed him by the arm. "What did you do with her?"

"I haven't laid a hand on your child!" he snapped. "There are certain levels I will stoop to in order to become better than you, but I would never sink to the point of getting a child involved! Now get off my back before I call the police." Willy let go, but sneered at him.

"I'll find her, and if I find out you had anything to do with it... you had better hope you have good protection in your home because I'll kill you!"

"Don't make promises you can't keep," snarled Slugworth, and with that he left.

"I know it was you!" shouted Willy behind his back, but he was gone.

When he got home, he received a phonecall from the police. Tyler Chapman had been released from prison a year ago, and his current location was unknown. They said it was very clear that wherever he was, he was on the run. Reluctantly, Willy called up Slugworth and apologized.  
-  
(One and a half years later)  
Willy tapped the hammer on the nail one last time, and then stepped back, staring at the sign. On the bark of the first willow tree his daughter had ever climbed was a sign that read, "In loving memory of our daughter Jessica Alexandra Wonka. 2009-2013." Growing in front of it were forget-me-not's which were Jessica's favorite color. He stood there for a long time, watching with tears in his eyes. Even though, physically, he hadn't done it, it felt like he had just buried his baby. No parent should ever have to do that, a fact he had known for years. He had lost loved ones before, but never saw a child die. Children weren't supposed to die. They were still new to the world, lively and plenty of years that they should be able to live. Four years was too soon.  
As he finally turned away and walked back into the house, he thought of how he would never be able to hold his little girl again, hear her laugh, see her smile, pick her up when she had fallen. He felt like he had failed her by not saving her, but didn't blame himself half as much as Reya blamed herself. In both their hearts, they knew it was never their fault, but the pain built around that truth was a lot thicker and easier to believe.  
"Rest in peace, sweetheart," he said softly, and walked back into the house.  
-  
(A/N: I just wrote this after I took my last regents exam for the year. YEAH! My friends and I went out for pizza, and shopping to celebrate. It was good fun, but now I'm feeling a little icky from eating too much... and very very very very very very hyper from drinking too much Mt. Dew. Wait, too much Mt. Dew? There's no such thing! G2G!  
Oh, one other thing, It's sad that I have to warn you of this, but my dad likes to sneak onto the comp. when I'm not looking and type in random lines in my stories, hoping I won't notice before I post it. He's always teasing me and doing stuff like that, which makes me grateful that our family isn't so boring. It's usually funny, but anyway if you see a line that doesn't seem to fit in, chances are my father did it and I'd appreciate it if you'd point it out if I miss it.

Examples:  
And they all cried, "Boogie woogie"  
And they all jumped up and danced the undie dance.

I have a very bizarre family (but fun none the less) So if something like that appears, I didn't put it there and let me know if you see one. Thanks! -Smeagol's (tsk tsk tsk "Let's boogie!") girl)


	5. Jane Doe

(6 and a half years later)  
"Honey?" said Willy into the phone. He waited and heard his wife answer.

"Where are you?" she asked, sounding annoyed.

"I'm terribly sorry, dear! I wasn't expecting to work so late. I've made a tremendous breakthrough you see and... I'll tell you about it when I get home. I'm leaving right now so I'll see you in a few minutes."

"All right," said Reya. "See you then."

"Bye-bye." He hung up and headed out the door, pulling on his jacket and whistling as he walked. The moon was out, and he was surprised to see it. He hadn't meant to be working so late, and hadn't realized what time it was. "Oops," he muttered, and continued walking, tapping his cane on the ground as he walked.

Behind him, he heard footsteps, dragging and stumbling carelessly, and he turned his head, looking behind him. There was no one there, and he shook his head, continuing to walk again. The footsteps started again, and he stopped, standing perfectly still, and turned around. There was still nothing there, and he began to worry that he was being followed.

"Hello?" he asked, the word seeming to fall to pieces as he said it. But he was answered with a moan, and turned.

"No!" screamed a voice. "Somebody help!"

He paused, looking around frantically and waited until the sounds were followed up with another scream. It was coming from the alley ahead of him, and he broke out into a run, dashing into it, but stopped when he couldn't see in front of him. It was dark, and the moonlight wasn't enough to show anything that was back there. "Where are you?" he called.

"Somebody help!" came the scream, and he ran forward, holding a hand in front of him, blindly feeling his way through. There were sobs, and he stumbled on something, falling over on his hands and knees. "You can't run away..." said a shaky voice. "You will die if you try!"

"Who are you?" asked Willy, barely able to make out the shape of a person sitting against the brick wall, knees drawn up underneath her chin as she rocked back and forth. There was large dark circles under her eyes, and blood on her face. Her clothes were dirty and full of holes, and her hair had been shaved off.

"He's coming," she said, staring with terrified eyes at the wall across from her. "He's coming to kill me!"

"Who are you?" asked Willy again.

"HE'S COMING TO KILL US ALL!" she screamed, breaking into sobs. Her body started twitching, and she held up her arms to protect herself. "NO! NO, GO AWAY! LEAVE US ALONE!" She went into hysterics, and he stood up, not exactly sure of what to do. She was sobbing loudly and thrashing around at some unseen foe, and he knew something was wrong with her.

"Somebody!" he shouted, looking back at the entrance to the alley. "Over here! Please, somebody!" A passerby saw him and came, and much to Willy's relief, he had a cell phone.  
-

"No name, no ID, no family... she's just here." Willy was talking with the police outside of the hospital room the girl was being held in to confirm with the police what he had seen. "Did she say anything other than, 'He's coming to kill me,' "

"No," he said, shaking his head. "She just screamed mostly and muttered stuff I couldn't rightly understand. I'm sorry I can't be of any more help."

"Well, until she starts talking we have no way of knowing where she came from or what she was trying to tell you. And from the looks of it, she's out of her mind." Willy shook his head and looked through the window as the girl was forced onto the hospital bed and given an injection. She had been fighting and struggling with the nurses as if they were trying to kill her, and it was hard to watch as her eyes rolled back and her body relaxed.

"Poor thing," he muttered softly.

"I need you to come with me and answer some more questions," said the cop. "You like coffee"

"What? Oh, yes. Yes, that'd be fine. May I please call my wife first, I think she's either ready to strangle or pummel me." The cop chuckled and nodded, walking with him to the pay phone.  
-

The girl's eyes slowly slitted open, and she looked around the white room, wearily. Around her she could hear nurses talking, voices coming on the intercom every now and then, and two cops speaking with the nurses outside the room. "Lay still," said a voice, and her eyes darted to a nurse about to stick a needle in her. She closed her eyes tight and waited for the brief sting to end. "My name is Ben, and I will be your nurse for this evening. Can I get you anything to start with? A soda or something?" She made a face at him and he chuckled. "Just a little joke. If you're feeling groggy it's because the sedation's wearing off. It's normal to feel a little out of it. Are you hungry or thirsty?" She stared at him but didn't say anything. "That's all right. I'll let you rest. If you need anything, push that button there and one of us will come to you. Do you have a name we can call you by?" She stared and he began to wonder if she spoke English at all. "Jane Doe it is then," he muttered and walked off, jotting something down on his clipboard.

Willy stared through the window of the room at the girl, who was now looking around the hospital room. She looked as though she had been starving to death, her face had the look of absolute exhaustion both physically and mentally, and there was fear mixed with anger and pain in her faded blue eyes. Her hair was all shaved off (he was certain she had done it herself), and there were cuts on her arms that could have been defensive. Wherever this girl had come from, he knew it wasn't pleasant, and she had to fight to get out of it. Her eyes strayed to him, and he looked at her for a while until he had to look away. He didn't know what it was, whether it was the pain or the pitiful look on her face, but something about her struck a nerve, and looking at her made himself feel like he was deteriorating inside. "I know, hard to watch isn't it," said the nurse behind him. It was an African American female, heavy set, and watching the girl with the same look of pity. "If I had a dollar for every patient like her I've seen, I tell you, I'd be able to buy that beach house in Hawaii I've been wanting."

"You've seen this before?" he asked, looking shocked.

"I'm telling you, it ain't no gift to be pretty on the streets of the city. Sure, she don't look too pretty now, but I'll bet you anything she used to be."

"What's her name?"

"Until she starts talking, it's Jane Doe."

"And what's going to happen to her?"

"As soon as she's awake enough, we're moving her to the psychiatric section. Hopefully she'll warm up to the nurses and start to open up. I'm tellin' you, if you ever want a good horror story, become a nurse in that part. You'll hear things that'll make your skin crawl."

"Afraid I might have to turn down that offer," he said, smiling a little. He glanced back at Jane Doe and was surprised to find she was still staring at him. "Once she's moved, will I be allowed to visit her?" The nurse looked at him curiously and he glanced at her. "I just... I want to make sure she's all right. Finding her like that... it scared me a little."

"Normally only family would be allowed to visit, but seeing as she has no family that we know of, I think it'll be okay." He nodded and looked back at the girl who was still staring at him. "Wait a minute... where have I seen you before?" He looked back at the nurse who was staring at him and she suddenly gasped and her eyes widened. "Hold on a sec. Are you Willy Wonka?" He nodded, smiling a little. "That's where I've seen you, the news! Back when your daughter disappeared..." She stopped and looked down, hoping she hadn't just ripped open a wound. She had, and he also looked away, his eyes darkening. "Did you ever find out what happened to her?"

"No," he said, shaking his head. "The police called off the search a long time ago and my family's been working on moving on."

"I can't tell you how sorry I am to hear that. I think everyone in the country was moved by that one."

He nodded and wished something would happen that could change the subject. As if on cue, something did. There came a series of screams from Jane's room, and he turned around, along with the nurse. Jane was clinging at her head, screaming at the top of her lungs, and sobbing at the same time. It looked like something was attacking at her brain, and the screams were positively nerve wracking to Willy, especially after having his nerves rubbed raw from discussing his missing daughter. The nurse ran in the room, soon followed by three others, and Willy watched from the outside. They gave her another sedative to calm her down, and soon she was sleeping, positively still. He closed his eyes, and turned his back to her, leaning against the glass and trying to forget about the sounds of her screaming.  
-  
(A/N: I've put together soundtracks for all three of these stories. That's how nerdy I've become! But they're fun to listen to. I'll put the song lists on my profile later.)


	6. Checkers

"She doesn't speak to anyone. She only lays there, staring at you, like her eyes are boring into you. That pain in her eyes... it was almost too much for me to handle. Goodness gracious, just thinking of all the possible things that could have happened to her!"

"Do they know of anything that's happened to her?" asked Reya. They were both sitting up in bed, talking about what had happened.

"She won't say anything."

"How could anyone hurt a girl that young? It's just sick," she muttered, lying down.

"I don't know," he said, shaking his head. "Tomorrow I'm going to go visit her and see if she's started talking yet."

"Will they let you?"

"They said they would."

"Psychiatric hospitals aren't fun," muttered Reya, and he looked at her.

"You've been in one?"

"Yeah. I thought you knew that."

"When?"

"Before we started dating. A few days after I told my mom I was cutting. You honestly didn't know that?"

"No, I didn't. You never told me."

"I could've sworn I did."

"You didn't."

"Huh. Well, it's not like it's a huge surprise anyway."

"Back then it wouldn't have been," he admitted, and she sat up, looking at him.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked.

"Hmm?"

"You think I was a psycho-path?"

"I never said that," he said, making a face

.  
"You said it wasn't a surprise that I was placed in a psyche ward."

"What I meant was... it's no surprise that you ended up being hospitalized for your... condition."

"Because I was a psycho-path?"

"Yes- NO! What are you doing to me?" he whined and buried his face in the pillow, much to her amusement.

"Well thanks, now I know how you really feel."

"You're the one who calls me crazy all the time," he said, looking over at her. "If anyone's going to complain, it'll be me."

"Oh, and you've suffered greatly?"

"I might have," he said. "All that negative feedback I get from you could've caused damage."

"Well I'll try not to bother your pretty little head anymore."

"See? That right there! Negative feedback." She rolled her eyes an snickered.

"Ninny," she muttered.  
"Psycho." She shot up and he leapt out of bed. "I'm sleeping on the couch!" he announced, running before she could pounce on him, and she sat back, laughing, and shaking her head.

-  
"She's still not talking," said the nurse as she walked with Willy to the psychiatric unit. "We made a small breakthrough though. She smiled at a Smurf cartoon this morning." He grinned and was lead into the main room where patient were in their own groups playing board games (special ones without sharp pieces) or others were in the TV room, watching cartoons on a TV with a sheet of strong glass in front of it so no one would try to throw it (which had happened before). Jane Doe sat by herself with a sketch pad and pencils, scribbling meaningless lines on the paper. "Good luck," said the nurse, and Willy nodded, walking over to her and sitting down.

"Hello," he said, grunting as he lowered himself to the ground. He was getting too old for this.

"Remember me?" She didn't answer or look at him. "My name is Willy Wonka. I'm the one who found you in the alley." Her eyes strayed up to him, and she looked at him briefly before looking down at the paper in her hands. "You like to draw?" She didn't answer. "My wife draws a lot. She never lets me see them." She continued scribbling and didn't say anything. "Can I see?" She pulled the sketchpad close to her chest protectively and he nodded, sitting back. "Okay." Sighing, she closed up the pad and set it down on the floor next to her, staring at him for a minute. There was a checker box next to her and he gestured to it. "Wanna play?" She didn't say anything, but her eyes seemed to say yes, so he pulled it over, opening it. "I'll be red," he said, somehow guessing she'd want black. They set up the board together and he made the first move.

"My daughter, Deborah, she used to play this game a lot when she was younger. She's an adult now, hard to believe, ready for college too. But she had a checkers game when she was younger and we played all the time." Jane moved her piece, and jumped over six of his. He sat there, blinking a few times and watched as she took off the pieces. "I'll take it you play a lot then," he said glancing up at her. She didn't respond, not even with a look, and they continued playing. Within minutes she had him beat, and he looked at her in amazement. She smirked and started to reset the board. "That was just warming up," said Willy. "I'll get it this time." They played again, and she beat him in under five minutes. "Drat..." he muttered and looked at her. "How do you do that?" Of course, she didn't answer, but sat back, glancing over at the wall. "Do you like chocolate?" Finally, he could confirm she was like any otherpureblood girl, because the minute he said that, her eyes shot right at him. He pulled out a Wonka bar from his pocket and handed it to her. She tore into it like a raccoon tears into a garbage can, and took a large bite of the chocolate. So she wasn't skinny because of an eating disorder, he concluded. Otherwise she'd have either rejected it, or read over the calories before eating it slowly. "My daughter and my wife are chocolaholics too. They'll do anything for chocolate. I once bribed my daughter from running away from home with a Wonka bar." She pointed to the large WONKA on the bar and then at him. "What? Oh, I get it. Yes, I made that." She sat back again and continued to eat the Wonka bar, a part of her seeming to brighten up. The intercom clicked on and a voice said, "All right, everyone. It's time for group so meet in the main room." Jane rolled her eyes and Willy stood up slowly, grunting again as his joints ached.

"I'll come back again tomorrow, if that's all right with you." She looked at him and gestured to the bar. "I'll bring another one with me, yes." She nodded and walked off to join the group.  
-


	7. The Longest Frog Leap

(A/N: Thankyou so much, all you who review! Oh, I need the imput so bad! I'm not sure how often I'll be able to update, the school blocking this site and all, but I promise a once a week update, all right? Here you go!)

Reya was washing the dishes when her husband came home with a smile on his face. "Hi," she said, looking over at him and he walked over, kissing her briefly. "How'd it go at the hospital?"

"She loves chocolate," he said, grinning. Reya chuckled.

"Well duh! What girl doesn't?" He chuckled and turned to the counter, sneaking to the cookie jar when Reya wasn't looking. "Hey, no!" she said, not even needing to turn. "Supper's almost ready. No cookies"  
"Wouldn't dream of it," he said, slipping one out carefully and starting to leave the kitchen. He was in the doorway and had the cookie in his mouth when Reya stopped him by asking, "Has she started talking yet?" He chewed as fast as he could.

"Hrmf... No," he said, knowing it was painfully obvious he had a mouthful. "She responds... but she doesn't talk." He swallowed, nearly choking on the large bit, and chewed through the second bit a little more.

"That's too bad," muttered Reya. "I wonder what sort of background she comes from?"

"Not a good one, which is pretty plain to see... I just hope... she doesn't try to keep it bottled up." He tried to leave again, but she turned, facing his back.

"You've got crumbs on you chin," she said, and he choked, coughing and placing a hand on his chest. She smirked and shook her head. "Twit," she muttered, and he snickered, walking off to the living room.

"Dad, Jack stole Gary again," came a whiny voice. He turned and saw one of his sons standing there, holding an empty frog tank.

"I'll take care of it, Frances."

"Ronnie!"

"Ronnie! Terribly sorry. Where's Jack?"

"Outside."

"Jack!" he called, walking to the front door.

"Back yard, Dad," said Ronnie, and he turned, heading for the back door.  
-

"They said it could never be done," said Jack, placing the frog in place. "But now, Gary's ready to boldly go where no frog has gone before!"

Gary croaked and Jack moved his finger to the button. Gary was sitting on a tiny catapult Jack had just built, and was ready to set the record for the longest frog jump.

"Jack!" shouted a voice, and he heard the back door fly open.

"In 3... 2...1!" He pushed the button, and Gary was launched in the air. From behind him, someone leapt out and ran, catching the frog in his hand at the last minute and checking it over. Gary seemed a little dazed, but croaked again, and he sighed. "Dad! We were going for the record!" whined Jack.

"You're also going for a week of being grounded, young man. What were you thinking?" Jack looked at him, speechless. "Give Gary back to your brother now," he said, handing him the dazed frog, and watched as Jack walked in the house, not looking too happy.

"Deborah Marie Wonka, do not take that tone with me!" came a shout. Willy sighed, knowing the chaos would never end in the family, and he walked back into the house to see what was wrong this time.

"What's going on?" he asked, and found his wife blocking the front door and Deborah standing with her hands on her hips, and a deadly look on her face.

"Your daughter is planning to go out dressed like that!" He looked at her and shook his head. She was wearing a tube top and a minimini skirt that came down low enough so her thong straps were visible.

"What?" snapped Deborah, looking at her parents as if they were too old to know anything.

"There is no way you are leaving this house dressed like that," said Willy, shaking his head.

"Oh, come on! What's your problem?"

"What's my problem?" snapped Reya. "You're barely wearing anything! And where did you get the thong?"

"I bought it, mom," she said, bobbing her head and rolling her eyes.

"Do not talk to your mother that way," said Willy warningly, pointing his finger at her. "Now either put something more modest on, or we'll hold a fund raiser and buy the rest of that outfit."

"I hate you!" she shouted and stormed up the stairs to her room.

"Aiy-yi-yi," muttered Reya, sitting down on the couch. "What do you do when they do something that's not in the instruction manual?"

"Write that section and send it to the publishers," said Willy, sitting down next to her. "Or we could always return her and ask for a refund."

"That offer expired after 12 months," she sighed, rubbing her head. "She's taken to picking fights more often lately."

"It's a phase. You went through it too, if I recall correctly."

"Does she not realize she looks like a tramp when she dresses like that?"

"I think it's more for shock value," he said.

"Remember way back when they used to be friendly? Back when we were still cool?" He smiled sadly and kissed her forehead.

"They've been through a lot," he whispered. "That's why I cut them a little slack at times."

"So what happens when they realize we're just making this up as we go?"

"I don't think they'll ever get that clever, dear. They have your brains."

"Do you want to sleep on the couch again?" she asked, looking at him.

"Sorry," he said quickly, and stood up.

-


	8. One Tap Two Tap

"She likes to paint," said the nurse. She and Willy were walking down to Jane's room, talking about any new breakthroughs. "Yesterday, when they were in school, during break time she found the cupboard with the paints and started painting something large. She won't let nobody see it, probably not until it's done."

"Isn't that what all the great artists do?" he asked.

"She's painted something for you too. It's lovely. You oughtta check it out."

"She said it was for me?" he asked, hoping that meant she was talking.

"No, but it's pretty obvious it is. You'll see what I mean. And she's still not talking, if that's what you were wondering. Poor thing won't crack." He nodded and they passed the main room where Jane usually was.

"Where are we going?" he asked.

"In the classroom. That's where she likes to paint."

"I didn't realize there were classrooms in a hospital."

"It's optional for them to go. The majority of them choose to because they know they get the credit for attending regular school if they do."

"You can run, but you just can't hide," he muttered.

"Actually, the majority of them like this better. School goes for only two hours, and there's two twenty minute breaks." Willy glanced at her and the nurse chuckled. "I know. Not much of a school is it?" He smiled and they approached a door. The nurse swiped her ID card through the slot on the side and was allowed through. To Willy, it felt like being in a prison every time he walked in. All the doors had locks on them that only nurses could open, there were security cameras everywhere, and the windows were all locked and built with bullet proof glass. Anyone in there would have a hard time getting out, that was for sure. There was little freedom for the patients, if any, which he didn't understand how any of them could live with. Freedom was taken away for their protection, and given to them during certain times through the day, then taken away again as if it was something that could be passed out. It seemed cruel almost, but when he saw how some of the other patients were, it made sense. He only felt bad for the ones who never did anything bad.

"Right this way," said the nurse, and she unlocked the classroom door and let him in, where Jane stood in front of a large canvas, mixing colors an carefully stroking them on. "Jane, you've got a visitor." The girl turned to look, and turned back to her canvas, picking it up and laying it down on the shelf in the closet and shut the door. The nurse left, and Willy stepped in, looking around.

"So this is your classroom?" he asked. "It's a little small." She held up two fingers and he looked. "Two rooms?" She nodded and he said,

"Oh." There was a radio playing from the back of the room and she walked over to it, turning up the volume. "You like music?" This was a very stupid question and he knew it, but was willing to try in order to get her to talk. The attempt failed and she simply looked at him and walked back to the counter. That was when he began to wonder why he was even there. He didn't know her at all, never had seen her before in his life. She didn't know him either. Heard of him, perhaps, but didn't know him know him. In fact, she was probably wondering why this strange man with a top hat and cane continued to see her.

But every time he saw her eyes, he recognized something. Whether it was the emotion or the internal pain, he recognized something, and saw some of himself in her. Not his bright cheery self, because she was far from it, but the part of him that came out on days when he was forced to remember his mother. Just the thought made him feel as if he were darkening on the inside, and when she glanced at him again, there was a brief moment where he felt like he was connecting with her. It was like their pain was the only thing they had in common, besides a love for chocolate of course.

"The nurses told me you love to paint," he said, looking at her.

She walked over to the other counter and picked something up. It was another canvas, only smaller than the one she had been working on, and she handed it to him. "What's this?" he asked, and she made a face that said, "Well, look at it dum-dum." He looked at it and was speechless. It was a painting of himself, perfectly done with every highlight, every detail, even in the hair. She had painted him standing outside his factory, one hand supporting himself with his cane, and the other pinching on to the brim of his hat with his fingers as if he were about to tip it. It was better than a standard, stand n' smile painting. It was beautiful, and he looked at her in astonishment.

"You did this?" he asked. Her eyes said yes, and he smiled. "This is beautiful." He started to hand it back, but she shook her head and pushed it back to him. "For me?" Another silent yes. "Thankyou. Thankyou very much." He reached in his pocket and pulled out a Wonka bar, her eyes immediately seeming to show a faint sparkle when she saw it. "I believe I promised you this," he said, and handed it to her. She took it and unwrapped it, taking a large bite into it. "I know you won't talk to me," he said after she was halfway through the bar. "And that's all right. It's your choice. But let's play a game, shall we? Tap once on the table for yes. Twice for no. All right?"

One tap. He smiled and leaned against the counter. "Do you have a family?"

She didn't look at him, but slowly reached to the table and did one tap.

"Do you live with them?"

Two taps.

He thought for a minute, not sure if it was a good idea to press on that topic so soon. "Do you have a favorite color?"

One tap.

"Red?"

Two taps.  
"Green?"

Two taps.

"Yellow?"

Two very loud taps.

"Purple?"

Two taps. He was running out of colors.  
"Blue?"

One tap, and it felt like he had just achieved a victory.

"Do you have a mother?"

One tap.

"Father?"

There was a pause, and she finally tapped once, a sad look on her face as if the thought pained her.

"Do you miss them?"

One tap. Tears were in her eyes now, and he decided to change the subject again.

"Do you have a pet?"

One tap.

"Cat?"

Two taps.

"Dog?"

Two taps.

"Does it have hair or fur?"

One tap.

"Is it a big animal?" This was beginning to feel like twenty questions.

Two taps.

"A mouse?"

Two taps.

"A rat?"

One tap. He made a face, and there was amusement hidden behind her eyes.

"Does it have a name?"

One tap.

"What's its name?" She glanced at him, and he caught himself. That was not a yes or no question, so of course she wouldn't answer, except with that face she was giving him. He sighed, and looked at the painting again. "This really is beautiful. You could be a great artist some day." She didn't look at him, and walked over to the far back of the room. "Will you ever talk?" She glanced over her shoulder, and reached out to the wall.

Two taps.  
-


	9. An Angel

When Reya came home from the grocery store, she found her husband asleep in the kitchen, his head resting on the table, a tray of Deborah's home made cookies a few inches away. At first, it looked like he was dead, but when she looked closely, she saw the steady rise and fall of his back and she knew he was sound asleep.

"Deb didn't poison you?" she whispered. "I was afraid she had." Willy was too asleep to hear and she smiled. "Can I have a cookie?" No answer. "Thankyou." She reached over and took one off the tray, taking a bite out of it. The crunching was what woke him up, and he glanced up at her. "You said I could," she said, gesturing to the tray. He smiled sleepily and sat up, rubbing his eyes. "Long day at the hospital?"

"I was only there for an hour or so," he muttered, yawning. "I felt so exhausted by the time I got home, I must've just slipped out when I sat down?"

"What did you do?" she asked.

"Not much. It's beginning to bother me, because it feels like every time I got there, I'm not accomplishing anything. She still won't talk, she just stares. Well, I sort of got her to talk. We played a game where she'd tap once for yes, twice for no?"

"That's communicating," said Reya.

"Didn't do much. I just learned her favorite color is blue, she has a pet rat, and she doesn't live with her mother and father so she's most likely a runaway." He pointed to the canvas across the table. "She painted that for me." Reya looked at it and smiled.

"That's amazing," she muttered.

"You know, when we played, I still felt like we were talking, like we were having a regular conversation."

"Perhaps it felt the same to her?" asked Reya.

"It may have. Either way, I was so tired on the drive home. Actually a little surprised that I just fell asleep right here so suddenly." Reya nodded, completely understanding.

"You'll come home tired, but you'll go back, in the morning, completely refreshed." He smiled at her and kissed her gently.

"I told you no!" shouted Jack's voice.

"You don't use it anyway!" came Ronnie's voice in retort.

"Get out of my room, shrimp!"

"Don't call me a shrimp!"

"I'll call you whatever I want to!"

"You're just jealous because Mom and Dad didn't drop me on my head!"

"Say that again and I'll punch your teeth down your throat!"

Willy glanced at Reya lazily, and Reya groaned. "I think this is a joint mission," she said, signaling him to stand up.

"Do I gotta?" he whined, sounding a lot like Ronnie.

"Come on," she said, pulling him to his feet. "I'll make it up to you... in bed." He looked at her and made a face.

"No way! I don't want another one!" Reya laughed as they headed up the stairs and Willy shouted up to the children, "That's enough! You were both dropped on your heads!" Reya gasped and nudged him in the ribs; he gasped in pain.  
-

Reya was sitting on her bed, reading a magazine by the time Willy finally finished, and she gave him a sympathetic smile as he flopped down next to her. After a minute of staring blankly at the ceiling he spoke up.

"Honey, I think they're plotting against us. I think they've discovered that one day, if they work at it long enough and hard enough we'll shrivel up and die."

Reya snickered, shaking her head, and patted his stomach. "We knew it would happen some day."

"I think... they are planning to stay in this house until the day we die." He looked up at her and she shrugged. "Tyler and Deborah have graduated, and yet they have not gone off to college. They're planning to stay here and feed off of us, continue taking our money, and then watch us as we fade away."

"It won't last forever. Eventually they'll realize how unfit we are as parents, and they'll run away screaming."

"And what about the young and naive?"

"I'll outlive them even if it kills me."

"You know, I was thinking about it, and we got off lucky," he said looking at her. "Out of all of them, not one of them has fully taken after us. Not one drug addict or cutter in the group." Reya smiled and nodded.

"We are lucky." He sat up and crawled over to her, kissing her cheek.

"For now at least."  
-

It was around midnight when the phone started ringing. Willy and Reya both groaned, Reya reaching blindly for the light, and grabbed the phone, answer with a yawn. "Ugh... if this isn't the lottery saying I won millions, I'm hanging up," said in a grouchy tone. Willy sat up, rubbing his eyes, watching as his disgruntled wife, listened to the voice on the other end. "Yeah," she muttered. "Yeah, he's here. Why?" His ears pricked up. There were five he's in the family including himself, so the possibilities were endless. "Okay, one minute." She looked at Willy and handed him the phone. "It's for you," she muttered, and laid back down.

"Hello?" he asked. "Who is this? Yeah. Uh-huh. What?" he shot up, causing Reya to glance up at him. "Is she all right? Uh... about a half hour at the least. Right now? Oh dear. I understand. All right, I'll be right there. Thankyou. Bye." He hung up and slowly climbed out of the bed. Reya rolled over so she was facing him and watched as he got dressed.

"What's going on?" she asked, looking up at him.

"That was the hospital," he muttered. "Something happened to Jane Doe and they want me there."

"Why you?"

"I dunno. I'm too tired for this." He was grouchy now, so she watched silently as he dressed, and saw him to the door.

"Honey," she said softly. "I didn't say anything before because I wasn't worried, but be careful. That girl's probably been through a lot, but she's probably not in her right mind either. Just be careful, okay?" He walked over to her and kissed her gently.

"Don't worry," he whispered, and stepped outside silently. As he walked to his car, he heard a familiar giggling and turned. A little girl was standing under the street light, holding her dolly and waving at him.

"Daddy, wanna play tag?" she asked. He blinked and stared.

"Jessica?" he muttered. "Come and catch me, Daddy!" she cheered, and ran. She had only moved two steps when she disappeared, and he closed his eyes.

"I'm too tired for this," he said to himself, and got in his car.  
-

When Willy arrived at the hospital, he heard screaming the minute he was on the psychiatric floor. He felt nervous, and was greeted by two nurses. "Are you Mr. Wonka?" asked one.

"Yes," he answered. "What happened?"

"She was asleep, and then she just started screaming about an hour ago."

"Why did you send for me?" he asked, still feeling exhausted.  
"Because she's screaming for you," said the other nurse. Willy stared at him, confused, and walked with him to the padded room, or as they called it, the quiet room. Since straight jackets were banned in the sixties, Jane was struggling with a nurse who was trying to restrain her from scratching at herself. When she saw Willy step in, her eyes darted right to him. Immediately her fighting stopped, and she went like a wet noodle, slumping to the ground on all fours, sobbing lightly, and closing her eyes. Her hair was starting to grow back, but it was too short for him to tell what color it was supposed to be. Perhaps a dark brown?

She watched him with tears in her eyes, and he stared at her for a long time. Her blue eyes showed a level of pain he couldn't fully understand. It wasn't as bad as his had been when he had lost his mother, but is wasn't much lighter than that either. When he looked at her, he felt as though he was looking into the eyes of an old woman, chained to the stone walls of a prison, trying to scratch her way out with her chipped fingernails.

"Jane?" he asked softly.

"He killed her," said Jane, in a shaky voice, choking on tears. There were dark circles under her eyes, and she was pale. "He killed Jay-jay."

Willy stared at her confused, and she dropped her head in dispair, realizing he didn't understand.

"Who?" he asked.

"He killed Jay-jay!" she screamed, making them all jump. "He promised he wouldn't hurt her. He promised!"

"Jane," said Willy, daring to step a little closer to the sobbing girl. "Who killed Jay-jay?"

"The monster," she said softly, looking at him. All the nurses seemed to be thinking she was out of her mind, he had too at first, but when he saw her eyes, he knew whatever she was trying to tell him was not something in her head. She had genuinely seen something or heard something.

"Who's Jay-jay?" asked Willy after a minute. She didn't answer, but wailed, and buried her head in her hands, muttering gibberish. "Jane, who's Jay-jay?"

"An angel," she said, looking up at him at last. He stared at her confused, and the nurses finally came to Jane and gave her an injection. Immediately, she slumped over, closing her eyes, and was sleeping peacefully.  
-

The nurse led Willy to the classroom he had last met with Jane in, and took him to a canvas she had painted on since he had last seen her. "I don't know if this has any connection," said the nurse. "But she said angel, and it made me think of this." Willy studied it for a minute. It was an angel painting, but there were a few details that caught his eye. Most paintings of angels had angels with golden blonde hair, at least that he had seen (not including the gothic style angels he had seen Reya draw).

This one had dark black hair, and it was Asian. She had painted it with slitted eyes and facial features that told him that. The other thing that got his attention was the figure in its arms as it seemed to fly away. It was Jane, with her shaved head, cuts on her face and bruises, and ratty clothing, secured safely in the angel's arms.

"That must be Jay-jay," muttered Willy. "Is there any way you could find out if this is a real person, Ma'am?"

"We can show it to the police," she said. "If this is a real person she might be a missing one or a Jane Doe body."

"Please do that then," he said, nodding. "Then we may be able to find out that Jane Doe's name," he added, pointing to the hospital room.

"Maybe," said the nurse. "But don't get your hopes up too high."

"My dear, I always try to look on the bright side or hope for the best, because quite frankly, if you wait for the worst, you'll surely get it." The nurse chuckled and he checked the clock. "And now, I will be hoping to get home safely without falling asleep at the wheel, so goodday"  
-


	10. God Murdered Her

He did make it home safely, and slipped into bed without waking Reya. When he awoke, she had nestled into the warmth of his arms, and he smiled, kissing the top of her head lightly. He could feel her breathing, and cradled her, knowing it wouldn't be long until she woke. She was so pretty when she was able to sleep so peacefully. Her body was soft and warm, and he remembered the first time he had ever held her like this.

They had both been younger, and their lives weren't as crazy as they seemed to be now. There were no kids around to drive them up the wall, nothing to make them feel pain. It was just him and her in their own paradise. For that evening, she was the only person in his world, just like she was right now. If only she could understand these feelings. Unless, of course, she was already feeling the same. She stirred in her sleep and looked up at him.

"You're back," she yawned. "Yeah," he said softly, kissing her forehead. "What time is it?"

"Who cares? Don't get out of bed just yet." She smiled and he held her close. "Do you remember when you said fairy tales never came true?" He kissed her neck and shoulder.

"Yeah," she said sleepily. "Why?"

"I was just thinking about when mine came true."

"Marrying a girl not even a third of your age?" she asked. He chuckled and kissed her cheek.

"Finding someone who's almost as crazy as I am." She laughed as he tangled his arms tighter around her. "Almost," he added, and kissed her neck again. She looked at him and he kissed her lips briefly. When he pulled his head back up, she placed a hand on his cheek and drew his face closer to hers again, kissing him passionately.  
-

The phone was ringing downstairs, and Willy ran down to answer it while Reya remained upstairs, getting dressed. "Hello, Wonka residence. One minute." He placed his hand over the receiver and looked up the stairs. "Debbie! It's for you," he shouted. There were footsteps hurrying down the stairs, and Deborah appeared, a green makeup mask on her face, and her hair in a towel. Willy shouted, pretending he had seen a monster, and pulled the phone away. "I'm sorry, it appears she's been eaten by a green monster, can she call you back"

"Dad!" shouted Deborah, snatching the phone back. "Hello? Hi Ryan." She rolled her eyes at her father, who stuck his tongue out in return. "No, that's just my dad. I dunno, he must've broken out of the mental hospital again." He made a face at her and walked back to the living room. Ronnie was sitting on the couch, watching cartoons, and Willy sat down next to him.

"Rodney," he said softly. "Can you turn it to the news please?"

"Ronnie," said Ronnie, looking at him like he was a dum-dum.

"Ronnie! Sorry. Change it to the news please." Ronnie sighed and flipped channels until he got to CNN and stood up, walking out of the living room.

"I wanna watch Bugs Bunny, Daddy," said a voice. Willy turned his head and looked down at little Jessica, sitting on the couch next to him, in her pajamas. He stared for a minute, feeling the old pain coming back, and shook his head.

"You're not real," he whispered. He didn't have the heart to tell her to go away; it felt like he was telling his real daughter to go away. "Please," he whispered.

"Silly Daddy," she said, shaking her head. "Can we please watch cartoons?" "No," he said softly.  
She pouted and disappeared. He sighed and shook his head. It had been a long time since he had seen Jessica, or a vision of her. In fact, it hadn't happened since the day she had disappeared, not including the instance the night before. He never told Reya about it, fearing she'd think he'd lost it, not that she hadn't thought that a long time ago already, but that was more teasing than serious.

Maybe he should tell her? What if she was going through the exact same thing, and hadn't told him?  
No, she told him everything, no matter how scary or depressing it sounded. He felt better not telling her, and decided if it got really bad, then he might say something... might. Ever since Jessica had been kidnapped, his personality had changed. He wasn't as bubbly or spontaneous anymore. He knew it, and knew Reya didn't like it. She had changed too. In fact, for a moment he feared he could see her old teen self coming back after it had happened. His body still ached to hold his daughter again. Some nights, he would hug his pillow and pretend it was her. She had been so little when she had gone, and he could only hope she died quickly and wasn't forced to suffer too long.

He knew it sounded horrible for a father to wish that his own daughter had died quickly, but he wanted that rather than her being abused every which way for years before dying. She was his baby, his little girl, and the last thing he wanted was to see her in pain.

"Dad, there's a call waiting for you," called Deborah.

"I'm coming," he said and stood up, walking over to the phone. "Who is it?" he asked. Deborah shrugged and handed him the phone. "Willy Wonka speaking," he said.

"Mr. Wonka, it's Denise."

"Who?"

"Denise, the nurse you talked to last night."

"Oh, right! Sorry. What can I do for you?"

"I found out who Angel Jay-jay is," said Denise.

"Really? Who is it?"

"Her real name is Jasmine Chang. Chinese. She disappeared eleven years ago. Just snatched out of her home when her mother left her home alone for the first time."

"Oh dear," he muttered. "That's not good."

"She was fourteen when she was taken, and was never seen again. There was nothing left behind, no evidence. Whoever took her knew what they were doing to keep hidden."

"Until now," muttered Willy. "Jane obviously knew her. I wonder if she was kidnapped as well."

"Well, her picture's been on the news for the last week now, and the internet, and no one claims to know her."

"That doesn't mean her family's not still looking for her. If we can get her to tell us more about this... we could find who did it." He could hear the nurse give a stifled laugh.

"Good luck with that."

"Thank you for everything."

"No problem."

"G'bye."  
-

Jane stood in front of the canvas, adding every additional detail she needed to her large painting that nobody was allowed to see. Mr. Wonka would show up again, he always did, whether she wanted him to or not. He was the best actor she had ever seen. The smile he wore, whenever he came to see her, was a mask and usually was taken off after about five minutes of being around her.

Pain was something that was forced out in this place, no matter how long you could try to keep it in or hidden. The nurses always found a way to bring it out of you in what they called a 'healing process'. She had almost fallen for it the night before and given away everything. But she had stopped talking in time, and they had given up trying to get any more information from her.

"That's my little girl," she could hear the voice still hissing in her ear, and she shuddered, willing herself not to cry. The nurses would see and most likely try to make her tell them things. She wouldn't talk, not to them, not to anybody. There was more at stake than just her life, and she had to remember that.

The door behind her opened and she knew it was Mr. Wonka stepping in. Moving quickly, she covered up the canvas had hid it away in the closet.

"Good afternoon, Jane," came his voice, cheerful as usual. She sighed, that wouldn't last for long. She turned to face him and he walked over to her. "Feeling better today?" She didn't answer, and he sighed. "Yeah, I didn't sleep much either."

There was a flash of lightning, and she jumped. She hadn't noticed it was raining out, and it appeared he hadn't either, because he looked just as surprised. "Oh dear," he muttered, and walked over to the window, looking out. "It's not very pretty outside is it?" She glanced out the window and bit her lip. "I do love the sound of rain though," he said, smiling, trying to bring up the brighter side of things.

Jane hugged herself tightly, already feeling the cold and shook her head. "Sounds like screams," she said in a shaky voice. Willy turned and looked at her, his smile vanishing. "I hear screams... when it rains. I hear them screaming."

"Who?" asked Willy, concerned. She looked at him with weary, sorrowful eyes and shook her head.

"I'm not crazy," she said weakly.

"I never said you were, dear girl," he said softly but firmly, his eyes trying to see through her. "I don't think that at all." She nodded to the door and glanced at it.

"They think I am. That's what they say when they think I can't hear them."

"They just want to help you," said Willy. "That's what I want to do." She took in a deep breath and continued to stare out the window. "Jane, do you know who Jasmine Chang is?"

"Jay-jay," she whispered. "You knew her?" She nodded slowly. "Last night you said she was an angel. Why?" She closed her eyes and sniffled.

"Because she was the only one who was brave. The rest of us screamed."

"Is she still alive?" he asked. She shook her head.

"No, he killed her."

"Who killed her?"

"God did," she said, looking at her. He wasn't sure of what to say.

"You believe in a God?" he asked.

"Yes. He's a monster."

"Jane, I'm not a firm believer in any religion, but I have read parts of the Bible, mostly because my wife is a Christian. And from what I've read, the God you believe in does everything for a reason. He's a loving God that won't abandon you"

"He killed Jay-jay," she said, tears in her eyes.

"Perhaps it was her time to go and he was taking her home."

"We were already at his home," she said, looking at him. "He took us all there and we couldn't escape." At this, he stared at her in confusion. Surely they were not talking about the same person.

"God did this?" he asked.

"He said he was God," she said, looking at him. "He said he was because he could control us. He decided when we lived or died." Suddenly things were beginning to make sense, and he shook his head.

"Jane, that was not God," he said softly. "That was a sick man who stole you and... I don't know what he did to you... but it was nothing but a man looking for a way to take control of you, make himself feel like he was God even. But he was not God. The real God doesn't do things like that." She glanced at him with sad eyes.

"How can you say that, if you don't believe in God?" He knew she had him there and shook his head.

"I've seen too many bad things happen to believe there is one, quite honestly. He's let me down one too many times." She shifted a little and shook her head.

"You can't be angry with God and not believe in him at the same time," she whispered. There was a very loud crack of thunder, and she jumped, shuddering and hugged herself. "Listen to the rain," she whispered. "I used to be afraid of thunderstorms. Jay-jay taught me to listen to the rain, and it helped a little. Now all I can hear are the others screaming like they did when it would rain." He looked at her, and she seemed to have aged dramatically right before him. Even though she couldn't have been much older than thirteen, she looked like she was past eighty on the inside.

"How did Jay-jay die?" asked Willy at length. She looked at him and her eyes reflected the old fear from that time.

"He took her into the dark," she whispered, and buried her face in her hands, sobbing openly and sinking down to the ground and drawing her knees up under her chin.

Willy lowered himself to the floor, flinching in pain from his old joints, and sat in front of her. He wanted to comfort her, but how could he? There was probably more horrifying things she had gone through that he didn't know how to help her handle. So he looked at her, crying and wondering what he could do. He knew that he wasn't supposed to make physical contact with any of the patients (a rule he still did not fully understand) but looking at her told him she had gone for too long without a hug. Sometimes a hug was all anyone really needed. Looking around, and deciding he'd take his chances, he moved next to her and put his arms around her gently.

She wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his chest, and he comforted her, not caring whether or not he got caught. Right now, a hug would be the best thing for her.


	11. The Other One

Willy was asleep on the couch when Reya came home from the store, and she slipped over to him, tucking a strand of hair behind his ear. He flinched slightly, and opened his eyes, looking at her.

"Hey," he said softly.

"Another tough day?" she asked.

"Yeah," he said, slowly sitting up. "Jane's started talking and told me a little bit about where she came from."

"Oh dear," said Reya. "How bad was it?"

"Apparently she was kidnapped by a sick man, claiming to be God, along with others, she wouldn't say who. One of them was Jasmine Chang, or Jay-jay as she calls her, who was killed by the man."

"Oh no," gasped Reya. "That's awful!"

"You know, the last few times I've seen her she's told me a little about her past. And each time, it becomes worse and worse. I don't know if I'm ready to hear what comes next." Reya kissed his forehead and lips gently. "I just feel so bad for her, and I wish I could do something to take it all away, but I can't. It's the worst feeling in the world."

"I know," she said softly. "But don't give up. And you know I'm always here for you when you get home."

"The thing is... she reminds me so much of you when I first met you," he said, looking her in the eyes. "She's in so much pain right now that it hurts just to look at her."

"I hope whoever took her rots in Hell. How dare they do that to a child!" He nodded and she hugged him tightly. Having her there helped him feel better and feel like he wasn't forced to go through this alone.

"What can you do about something like that though?" he muttered, more as a statement than a question. Reya sat next to him and rested her head on his shoulder.

"Pray her an angel," she said softly. "That's what I got when I thought I was alone." He smiled and kissed her forehead. "You have a gift, Willy. A gift to help people see the light in the darkest places, show them that fantasies aren't just fantasies. They can become real. If you give up trying to help that girl then she'll have no one."

He nodded kissed her lips lovingly. "Thankyou," he whispered, and he kissed her again.  
-

Jane watched the TV blankly, not having anything better to do. What was there to do in a place like this? Scoobydoo had teamed up with the Harlem Globe Trotters, an episode she had seen millions of times, but it wasn't like it mattered that much to her anyway. It was quiet, except for the sounds of the TV, quiet enough that she could hear the sounds of the front door being opened. Probably a new patient, coming in to this hellhole. She didn't fully understand why they kept her there. She was not insane or suicidal like the others, but on the other hand, other than this place, she had no place to go but back on the streets.

"Wait right here please," said the nurse, and, for curiosity's sake, Jane turned her head and looked out the window to see who it was. A boy, about her age, sat slumped over in a chair, wearing a black hooded sweatshirt that was pulled up and over his head. He had brown hair down to his shoulders that hung limp and ratty. He was very thin, but had beautiful brown eyes, high cheek bones, and an unexplainable look of peace on his face. Her eyes widened and she got to her feet, moving to the door.  
-

"Here we are," said the nurse, looking up the new patient's record. "I knew I'd seen him somewhere before. He was on a commercial for The Lost."

"Who is it?" asked one of the other nurses, looking over his shoulder.

"Daniel Jacobs. He disappeared three years ago when he was walking home from school. His mother committed suicide a year after he was presumed dead, and his father died the year he was born. He has no family."

"Not another one," muttered the other nurse, shaking her head remorsefully.

"He was found in the city by a gutter, laying there as if he were waiting to die. He doesn't talk, and he has strange cuts and bruises all over him, so there's a big chance he was abused, wherever he came from."

"Look!"

They both looked up and saw the boy, known as Daniel, get to his feet, staring at the door to the TV room. Standing there, watching him cautiously was Jane Doe, who was hugging herself and biting her lip. She started sobbing from where she was, and one of the nurses moved as if to go to her, but the others held her back. "Just watch," whispered one, so they did, not sure what was going to happen.

Jane stood still, sobbing from where she was, and Daniel walked up to her, holding his arms out. She ran into his arms and they held each other in a moment that was unlike anything any of the nurses had ever seen. Daniel buried his face in Jane's shoulder, and she clung on to him tightly, almost as if she were afraid he would slip away if she let go.

"Apparently they know each other," muttered one of the nurses.


	12. Distant

That night, Jane Doe had another episode, similar to the one she had had a few nights ago. This time, she didn't say anything, only screamed out gibberish. She was locked into a padded room, and isolated from anyone, even Daniel. When Willy heard the news, he was devastated, and didn't know what he could do to help her now. He wasn't allowed to see her, but could only wait on the outside, hoping to find a way in. "Something will work out, honey," said Reya softly, rubbing his back comfortingly. "It may not seem like it, but things will look up eventually."

"It definitely can't get any worse, I daresay," he muttered glumly. She kissed his cheek gently and stood up.

"If you need me, I'll be taking a nice hot bath, try to forget how crazy your kids nearly drove me." He smiled a little.

"OUR kids," he corrected.

"Hey, you're taking some of the blame too Mr. "It's 99 percent effective! What are the odds of us having another one?"" She shot him a smirk, and he smiled, shaking his head and watching her go. The sad thing was, he had said that the last three times, and yet Jessica, Jack and Frances (twins), and Ronnie came to be. What could he say? Some people were just lucky. And it wasn't exactly like she had made a big effort to prevent another one.

Though he didn't mean to, he was feeling a little distant from her lately. He had been busy, trying to help Jane Doe, but a guilty part of him feared he had neglected his wife in the process. They used to talk all the time, but now he was always so busy, going to the hospital strait after work and usually not coming home until the kids were in bed and his wife was too tired to want to talk. He thought about his children as well and realized he'd barely been a part of their lives the last few weeks. The fact that he was helping Jane Doe didn't seem like a very good excuse. After all, and he knew no matter how he worded it it would sound mean, Jane was simply not part of his family. She didn't matter as much to him as his family, and therefore, their needs should come before hers fair and square.

He felt bad for thinking that, but part of him knew it was painfully true. Poor Jane. What was it like to not have a family? Sure, he had run away from his when he was a teenager, but he still had a father who was willing to fight for him. Jane had nobody to look out for her, encourage her, or let her know she was worth anything. Maybe that's why she rarely spoke to anyone. She was trying to hide inside herself to get away from the world. And the fact that some sick monster had taken her and kept her for God only knew how long didn't help matters much more. He didn't understand why people could be so evil? They all had the same feelings, and no matter what they said to cover themselves, part of them must know what they were doing was wrong. And seeing how it was hurting someone, especially someone so young and innocent as a child, did it not effect them in the slightest? Some things weren't meant to be understood, he concluded, and he stood up, knowing that sitting there and pondering on it, wouldn't change it.  
-

When Reya climbed out of the tub, very reluctant of leaving its warmth, someone knocked on the bathroom door. She quickly grabbed a towel and wrapped it around herself, just in case it was one of her children. "Come in," she said, and the door slowly opened. Her husband poked his head in and smiled.

"Hey you," she said with a smile. He stepped in and gave her a kiss. "I miss you," she said softly.

"I miss you too," he muttered and put his arms around her, not caring if she was wet. "I know I haven't been around much lately, and I feel terrible."

"You've got a good reason," she said softly, a hint of sadness in her tone that he picked up easily.

"That girl needs you. I can't get in the way of that."

"You're not in the way," he said, shaking his head. "Never. I just... I feel like I've been neglecting you all lately, and it has to stop."

"Well, you can't give up on that girl."

"I'm not going to. But, I'm not going to see her as often. From now on, I'll only go every other day, the rest of the time I'll be home, and Friday nights... it's just you and me." She smiled and kissed his cheek. "I love you," she whispered.

-


	13. Missing

(A/N: Oy! I'm so tired. Drama club season again and this year we're doing Suessical the musical. It's a lot of fun, don't get me wrong, it's just tiring. Plus I've got all those annoying songs stuck in my head. "We're Whos, sir/ We're all Whos sir/ I'm a who and so is she.../ We are little tiny people floating by in the air/ Wondering how and why..." Yadda yadda. I had to laugh though because when we got to the whole 'Horton Hears a Who' part, and he says, "I just have to save them because after all a person's a person no matter how small," all I could think of was Wonka saving the oompa-loompas. Just a thought. Okay, here's your long awaited update!)

Despite how hard he tried to find a loophole, nearly a month had gone by and he had been unable to see Jane, or at least hear from her. He was becoming worried, and began to wonder if there was more going on that they wouldn't tell him. The last time she had had an episode, he was called in immediately, even though it was late at night. He knew fretting about it wouldn't change anything, so instead he made an attempt (a weak one, but it was there) to remain patient until he was allowed to go see her again.

One night, to try and relax, he sat in front of the fireplace, reading a book while sprawled on the sofa. Their living room, the one he was in at least, was very large, and reminded both of them of the inside of a large majestic log cabin. The stone fireplace was huge, and there was one large squashy couch on the side, his personal favorite, and a couch that was long and bent into a right angle, which fit comfortably in the corner in the walls. That was a flat screen TV built into the wall across from him, and below it a large stereo system (Reya had gone nuts when she first laid eyes on it.

He stopped when he realized he had read the same paragraph three times in a row, and glanced out the window, and took a deep breath. What was happening to her? For some reason, his uneasy feeling had gotten progressively worse with each passing hour, and he wondered if something bad had happened to Jane. If there was, he couldn't go to the hospital to find out. He still wasn't allowed in, not matter how much he hated it, but for once there was nothing he could do about it.

Finally, as if God had decided he had waited long enough, the phone began to ring, and he sprung for it, dashing out of the living room with all speed and picking up the phone, so quickly he had nearly dropped it. "Hello?" he asked, panting.

"Mr. Wonka?"

"Yes," he said, starting to breathe normal again. "What can I do for you?"

"There's been an accident."

"Who is this?" he asked.

"This is Denise, the nurse from the hospital. Jane's nurse."

"Oh, yes! What's happened? What's wrong?" There was a pause, long enough for him to sort of prepare for the worst.

"We have no idea how, but Jane Doe and Daniel Jacobs... they've gone missing. We think they made a run for it."

Willy's blood froze and he stood very still, not sure of how he felt about that. "What?" he managed to stutter at last.

"We don't know how they did it, or where to begin to look, but they're just gone!" Now he was worried. What were they planning to do?

"Oh no..." he muttered.

"We're already starting the search, any help you can give us will be most appreciated."

"Where should I start?"

"Try down here. Look around the city. If they're escape was recent, which we think it was, they can't have gotten too far."

"All right, I'll be right there."

"Oh! And one more thing."

"Yes?" he was becoming impatient.

"Be careful. They're on the news now, so chances are whoever took them before is seeing this on the TV now and could start looking for them as well."

"Oh dear," he muttered, now beginning to feel afraid. "It's a race against time. I'll be there as soon as I can. Bye!" He hung up, and ran for his jacket.

"Honey?" came a voice, and he glanced up the stairs to see Reya coming down in her pajamas. "Honey, I need to talk to you."

"No time!" he cried, pulling on his coat.

"Willy, it's important."

"I can't talk right now. Something's happened, something terrible... I have to go now!"

"Willy!" she shouted, trying to get his attention. It worked, and he looked at her and saw the tears in her eyes.

"Honey, I can't talk right now!"

"Don't shout at me!" she cried, tears running down her face. He knew something was wrong, but part of him told him there wasn't time.

"Someone needs me now or they're going to die!" he said, not shouting this time. "Now, unless someone's about to die in the next three seconds, I have to go." He was very snappy, and she nodded.

"Just go!" she snapped, shoving him. He stared at her, slightly shocked, but left, leaving her standing there, crying and shaking her head.

The phone started ringing right after he had pulled out of the driveway, and she didn't have the strength to answer it. She felt terrible for getting angry at him, and knew she wouldn't be able to talk to anyone on the phone without crying. She was very emotional right now, and slightly nauseous which didn't help in the slightest.

"Mr. Wonka, you there?" came a voice on the answering machine. "It's Denise from the hospital. If you're there, turn your TV to channel seven now. If not, God be with you." Click!  
Reya felt uneasy, and ran to the living room, turning on the TV and standing in front of it. It was already on channel seven, which was a breaking news story.

"We've just received word that the two missing hospital patients were spotted in this downtown area about fifteen minutes ago. Witnesses say they saw the two board a subway, and aren't sure of where they are headed." The news reporter was suddenly called off to the side, and when she stepped back into view, she was holding a note and reading it over. After a few minutes, she looked back up at the camera and had a hint of fear in her eyes. "We've just received a letter from an anonymous source, requesting it be read for the two patients, and a mystery person to hear:

I've caught them before, and I'll find them again before you will. If you can hear this, know that I am also searching for the patients and know you have them. You have one hour to return them to me. If you fail to do as I say, I will kill you, your family, and gut both of them when I find them, just as I did to your daughter, Jessica. Have a good day."

Reya screamed and turned off the TV. She had already heard it, which was what she had been trying to tell him. "NO!" she screamed. "SICK BASTARDS! SHE WAS JUST A BABY!" She started sobbing loudly, and hugged herself as her children came running down the stairs to see what was wrong.  
-


	14. Sanctuary

Willy turned off the radio by slamming his fist at the knob, probably breaking it, he didn't know. He was angrier than he had ever been in his life, and felt like crashing the car into a building and ending it with a bang. The letter had been read aloud on the radio as well as the news. He knew from the start it was written to him, and his daughter's name at the end confirmed it. He had felt that she was dead for some time, but to hear that made it far worse. Having something that really confirmed it was the worst thing, and killed off all hope of ever seeing her again.

No, this was not the time to get wrapped up in that. Two people's lives were in danger, and he had to find them quickly. He had heard about the subway, and tried hard to think of where they would go. He didn't know their minds, where they would turn to to claim sanctuary. His best bet was to go to the hospital and gather as much information that he could. Using every ounce of his emotional strength, he pushed away the anger and hate he felt towards the man who had killed his daughter, and turned his focus on finding Jane and Daniel.  
-

"We came to their rooms and they were gone. There's nothing to tell," said the nurse. Willy dropped his head and felt ready to give up. They could be anywhere by now. "They didn't hint to anything, leave any clues behind as to where they were going?"

"No," she said. "But my best guess would be that they've tried to go to some place familiar to them, some place that comforts them. The question is, where?"

"I don't think we'll find the answer in time," he muttered. "Thanks anyway." He started for the door, but Denise came barreling over to him, and grabbed him by the shoulder, thoroughly startling him.

"Sir!" she cried, catching her breath. "There's something you need to see!" Willy could tell it was urgent, and went with her into the school room. The nurse opened the closet and pulled out the large canvas that Jane had taken great care in hiding from them. "She just finished it this afternoon, almost as if she were planning on leaving as soon as it was finished." She set it up on the counter so it was leaning against the wall, and he stared at it for a long time. The surroundings were dark colors mainly, and in the bottom left portion, there was him, painted to the fullest detail, holding up a little girl with curly red hair and blue eyes, smiling and mouth opened as if she were laughing.

Then centered, surrounded by a blacks and dark blues with a few streaks of red was a doll, laying on its back with a black blindfold, yellow yarn hair, and a muddy blue dress. In thin white letters surrounding it, there were words painted reading: "You can't see me, You don't hear me, Why can't you find me? I'm right in front of you."

And on the lower right portion of the canvas was Jane, on her knees with her face buried in her hands, her head still shaved, and bruises all over her. She was wearing graying clothes, and there was dirt all over her. Willy noticed a mark on her arm, right above the elbow, a small one that looked like a chocolate chip. He stared at it for the longest time, knowing she was trying to tell him something... but what?

Staring at the mark on her arm, he thought long and hard, and suddenly, it hit him like a bolt of lightning. His face went pale, and he was trembling. "No," he whispered, tears forming in his eyes. The nurse stared at him curiously, not sure of what he was saying 'no' about. He closed his eyes, putting a hand over his mouth, allowing the tears to fall. "Why didn't I see this?" He wiped the tears from his face and turned to the door.

"Mr. Wonka, there's one more thing you should know," called the nurse. He stopped and turned around, looking at her. "We got back Daniel's blood work and found a drug in there called Memborphin (made up name cuz I don't know the real name of the drug)."

"I don't know what that is," he said rather impatiently.

"It's a stimulant that was recalled because of the alarming amount of stress and the hallucinations the patients using it experienced. Chances are high that they used it on Jane as well. All that stress is bad for the heart, and he was in such bad shape that another dose could have killed him. If Jane's been put through it as much as he has, you need to find her before they try to give her another dose." This news alarmed him greatly, and he began to panic.

"Why?" he asked.

"I don't know why they would do it," she said, shaking her head. He turned to the door again and began to run.

"Where are you going?" asked the nurse.

"Someplace familiar to her, where she'd feel comfort and claim sanctuary." With that, he hurried out the door and ran to his car.  
-

Wonka pulled in to the driveway of his house, and ran to the front door, opening it quickly to find his wife sitting on the stairs, waiting for him along with Deborah and Kyle, all of them looking worried.

"Did you find them?" asked Kyle, trying to hide any worry he had.

"I need to speak with your mother alone... please." Deborah and Kyle shot unsure glances at their mother and left, walking up the stairs silently and leaving the two of them alone.

"What's going on?" she asked. He saw the scarlet around her eyes and how bloodshot they were, and he knew she had been crying for a while, possibly since he left.

"There's something you need to see," he said softly. "Come with me." He took her by the arm and led her out of the house and through the large backyard the children had loved to play in when they were younger. He took her to what looked like a mini castle, which had been untouched for nine years. This had been Jessica's playhouse, and now it hurt too much to go near it, so no one bothered it, not even the children. He could feel Reya gradually become uneasy they got closer, and they stopped in front of the door.

"I'm not going in there," she said softly, shaking her head. "Why did you bring me here?"

"Trust me," he whispered, and opened the door slowly. It took a bit of a tug to get Reya to budge, but he managed to pull her into the playhouse, and close the door behind her. "Willy?" she whispered, but he shushed her. So they walked up to the small steps and climbed to the second floor. They both saw shadows in there, and Willy hastily turned on the light. Two forms, that looked like they could have been people, ended up being a small chair and table set that Jessica had loved to have tea parties with.

"No," muttered Willy. "They've got to be in here..." He searched the room over and over again until at last Reya placed a hand on his shoulder to stop him as he was beginning to get worked up.

"Honey, it's okay," she whispered, trying to help calm him a little. He closed his eyes and shook his head.

"I was so certain..." he muttered. He looked positively distressed, and she hugged him warmly, rubbing his back and kissed his cheek.

"It's late," she whispered. "Please, just come to bed. You can look some more in the morning."

"It'll be too late by then," he muttered, shaking his head.

"Honey, the police are out looking for them too, and people have been alerted. They aren't on their own without you. And what good will you do if you're exhausted by the time you find them?" He sighed, but knew she was right, as much as he hated it. So reluctantly, he returned to the bedroom with her, but fell asleep fitfully, his head filled with things that scared him.  
-


	15. The Playground

The next morning, he woke before the sun had fully risen, and hurried about, getting dressed into the only pair of jeans and T-shirt he owned, and never wore unless he was in a hurry and it really didn't matter how he looked. While he was combing out his hair, he glanced over at Reya who was sleeping peacefully, and took the time to really look at her. Even though she was asleep, there was still weariness on her features and sadness that he had seen for the last nine years since their daughter had vanished. He could barely remember how she looked before, and he walked over to her, kissing her cheek lightly and stroking it with hit fingers.

"I'll bring her home," he whispered. "I promise." Reya shifted a little in her sleep, and he kissed cheek again, lingering there and absorbing the warmth. When he left at last, he could still taste her on his lips, and somehow the taste helped him feel like he could do this, almost as if he'd just eaten a caffeine packed Wonka bar.

The first place he checked was the alley where she had first shown up, but she wasn't there. And he knew she hadn't shown up at the hospital otherwise there would have been a phone call. And nothing from the police, at least nothing that the news reporters could say on the radio. The only option he had left was to look everywhere, not having the faintest idea of where to look next.  
He went to the park he and Reya had gone to several times when they were dating, just to hang out and talk, and found it was very different when no one was there except for him. Somehow a park didn't look right without anyone there to play on it, but he walked through it anyway, looking around for any signs of people. There was bushes, trees, and abandoned jungle gym and a homeless boy sleeping behind a group of shrubs. Willy stopped where he was and stared, looking closer. The boy looked familiar with his dark hair and pale thin face... Daniel. So if Daniel was here, that meant Jane wasn't too far away. He scanned the park, and then spotted her, sitting on one of the swings, staring fixedly on her feet. She looked very tired, and he could only guess she had not slept since they had left. He walked over to her, and looked down at her as she moved back and forth slightly on the squeaky swing.

"Hello, Jane," he said softly. She didn't respond. "Everyone's been so afraid for you. You and Daniel." She glanced up at him, and he moved to sit on the swing next to her. It was the middle of fall, and around them were dead leaves in different shades of brown, red and yellow. This had always been Reya's favorite time of year, and he was starting to like it as much as well. Jane was wearing different clothes, he noticed for the first time, and he wondered where she had gotten them. Dark gray sweatshirt, baggy ratty jeans, and worn down converse sneakers. She was also wearing a hat to cover her shaved head, and he secretly thought it made her look slightly like a cancer patient.

"Are you going to call the police?" she asked.

"Should I?" Jane looked to Daniel who was still sound asleep, and also wearing different clothes now that Willy noticed it, and she looked back at him, biting her lip to the point of bleeding.

"If I tell you everything," she whispered, almost impossible to hear. "Will you promise you'll throw the monsters in jail?"

"I'll definitely try," he said firmly, nodding. Jane nodded and fidgeted nervously.

"When I was four, a man took me away from my parents. I had gone outside by myself, and I wasn't supposed to, so he caught me. He brought me to this place... uh... those big red things they keep farm animals in."

"A barn?" he offered.

"Yeah," she said nodding a little too fast. This whole conversation had her so nervous and flustered that she was struggling with words. Even her breathing was growing rapid, like she was running very fast. "He threw me on the ground and started hitting me with a stick because I was crying. Then he grabbed me by the hair and forced me through a small door on the floor, and down some steps." She was shaking and tears were falling down her face. He placed a hand on her shoulder to help calm her, but she pushed it away, seeming to be bothered more by it.

"There were other people down there," she said, after a minute of trying to catch her breath with little success. "Not adults, but kids, little kids, some my age, some a little younger. And there wasn't very many of them, but there was at least eight of us. There were some teenagers I guess. I don't remember. And there were other men down there too, and they all were so mean. They yelled at everyone, and if someone started crying they yelled louder. Sometimes they'd hit and kick you until you were too sore to cry. They were treating us all like animals down there, and the man who took me said he was God because he could make us do whatever he wanted."

Willy felt the color drain from his face, and Jane was bent over now, face buried in her hands, and body trembling uncontrollably. She looked as though she was going to be sick, and he rubbed her back gently. Again, she forced his hand away, and made it clear that she didn't want him to lay a hand on her. "We ate whatever we could find in there. Sometimes they'd throw garbage down to us to eat. Everyone was so hungry that they'd eat anything. A lot of people became sick and died because of the food or from starving to death. Thenthey'dstick us with needles and we'd start seeing and hearing things that weren't there. It was so real, andsome kids died from banging their heads into thewall, trying to get the images out!It was so horrible. It was like a living nightmare, and there was nothing any of uscould do about it!"

She paused and shook her head as tears spilled down her face. "They would take the girls and drag us into the dark... and they'd rape us!" She burst the last part, and dissolved into tears again. Willy couldn't believe it, and felt sick himself, listening to the horrors she was having to recall. "Jay-Jay hated it when they dragged her in the dark. We all hated it, but she was more desperate to get away from it, and so she got it the worst. There were so many nights where we'd try to sleep, but couldn't because of how loud she was screaming."

She couldn't speak anymore as sobs took hold of her, and he watched her, knowing he couldn't touch her, and waited patiently. "And they killed her?" he asked.

"She was just trying to run away," sobbed Jane. "She wasn't doing anything bad. All of us wanted to get out so bad, but she was the only one who actually tried to do it."

"How did you get out?" he asked, beginning to wonder how she would manage to accomplish that if what she was saying was true.

"I did what Jay-Jay did. I waited until they started to take me into the dark, and the second they let go, I ran. I thought they would catch me and kill me like they did to her, but... I don't know how. I just got out. But once I was free, I didn't know where to go. I didn't know which way was home, and I didn't know what to do. I was gone for an hour I guess before I heard them chasing me." She stopped and glanced up at him.

"And that's when I found you," he said softly. She nodded and shuffled her feet slightly, looking drained from crying so much. "Do you remember anything before they took you? Your family?" Her eyes strayed to the side as she tried to think about it.

"I had a baby brother," she said, after thinking it over. "My mom was bathing him right when I stormed outside. And I had other siblings. I don't remember them."

"Perhaps I can help you then," he said softly, and she looked a little surprised. "Your baby brother's name was Ronnie, and he's ten now. Jason is the next one up, who is eleven, nearly twelve. After him was Jack and Frances, twins, who are thirteen. Kyle and Deborah were the last ones, both of them being eighteen, nineteen in a week. All that's left is the second daughter, who was kidnapped when she was four, and turned fourteen last night, which I just realized this morning when I went to look for her." He glanced at her and she had tears in her eyes again. "Your mother is the reason for your red hair, which everyone was surprised by because she's been dying it black ever since she married your dad who is now one of the most famous chocolate makers in the world."

He waited for her to respond, and she didn't look at him for a long time, fidgeting nervously and biting her lips. After a while, she finally looked up at him. "I knew," she said softly. "I knew it the day I saw you."

"Why didn't you say anything?" he asked her, searching her eyes.

"How can you tell your parents who you are when you're the reason everything bad happened?" she whispered, a tear rolling down her cheek. "This whole thing was my fault."

"No!" he said, so suddenly it made her jump a little. "You're my daughter, no matter what happened, no matter what rules you broke. You are my child, and I have always wanted nothing but the best for you. Do you honestly think I would ever wish those horrible things to happen to you?" She started crying, and held out her arms to him. He hugged her tightly, like he had been burning to do ever since he had first found her. She buried her head in his chest and he held her, closing his eyes and whispering in her ear, "I love you, Jessica."

He cradled his little girl, wishing more than anything he could take away her pain, and didn't let go for an eternity.  
-

"She seems to have taken a liking to her music more than ever," said the nurse as they watched Jessica painting in the classroom. "We've had to get on her case a few times to turn it down," she added, chuckling, and Willy smiled.

"That's exactly how Reya was when she was younger," he said, nodding.

"I'll bet your wife was overwhelmed when she learned Jessica was still alive."

"She was," he said. "She hugged her and I thought she would never let her go. Not that I blame her in the slightest. She said she really sees herself in her. It's a scary thing, seeing yourself in your child's eyes. It scares you to think that one day they may go down the same road you went at that age. All I can do is pray that it'll never happen." He sighed and tapped his cane on the ground.

"How much longer, would you guess, until she can finally come home?"

"She is making progress, but these things have to be handled slowly. It could be months before she's fully ready to be welcomed back into the family and come home. Right now she's got a lot of pain to work through."

Jessica looked up from her canvas and looked over at Willy, staring at him curiously. A nurse came up from behind and placed a hand on her shoulder. Walking almost zombie-like, she followed him to the door and Willy backed away so they could get through. He watched her go, still seeming to have that permanent blank stare and he sighed. "She has made progress, Mr. Wonka," said the nurse. "She's still got a ways to go though, I'm afraid."

He nodded, and saw Daniel walk out from the side. Jessica stopped to look at him, and Willy watched, interested. Daniel was being led to visit with a psychologist, and looked very sad and depressed. Jessica raised her hand and waved slightly to him, offering a tiny grin. He returned it and waved back. Willy smiled to himself and headed for the hospital door. As he rode home in his car, the Beatles were playing on the radio and he turned it up, singing along and disappearing around the corner.

"Hey Jude/ Don't make it bad/ Take a sad song/ And make it better/ Remember to let her into your heart/ Then you can start/ To make it better..."  
-  
(A/N: THE END! There is a fourth part on the way, and hopefully will start being posted around then end of November, beginning of Decemberish... So I'll see you then!)  
-Smeagol's (there's no business like ho business!) girl)


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